Issue 18, 2018

Advanced bi-functional CoPi co-catalyst-decorated g-C3N4 nanosheets coupled with ZnO nanorod arrays as integrated photoanodes

Abstract

In this work, a CoPi-decorated type II heterojunction composed of one-dimensional (1D) ZnO nanorod arrays (NRAs) coated with two-dimensional (2D) carbon nitride (g-C3N4) was successfully prepared and used as photoanode. CoPi has been speculated to be a mixture of amorphous compound and two cobalt-based compounds: Co3(PO3)6·14H2O and Co(H2PO2)2·6H2O. The advanced bi-functional CoPi acts like a shelter, effectively inhibiting the photocorrosion of CNNS/ZnO NRAs and providing a faster hole transfer channel. Synergistic effects at the interface of the heterojunction efficiently improve the separation of charge carriers from photoexcited g-C3N4 nanosheets to the ZnO nanorods. Photocurrent density is also greatly enhanced by loading CoPi on CNNS/ZnO NRAs heterojunction. The maximum photocurrent density (2.45 mA cm−2 at 1.23 V vs. RHE) generated from CoPi(10)-CNNS(600)/ZnO nanorods is about 10.2 times greater than that of pristine ZnO nanorods (0.24 mA cm−2 at 1.23 V vs. RHE) and 2.5 times higher than that of CNNS(800)/ZnO (0.95 mA cm−2 at 1.23 V vs. RHE). The further increase of photoelectrocatalytic performance may be attributed to CoPi relieving the charge accumulation at the semiconductor/electrolyte, which decreases the electron–hole recombination rate.

Graphical abstract: Advanced bi-functional CoPi co-catalyst-decorated g-C3N4 nanosheets coupled with ZnO nanorod arrays as integrated photoanodes

Supplementary files

Article information

Article type
Paper
Submitted
07 Jul 2017
Accepted
17 Apr 2018
First published
17 Apr 2018

Dalton Trans., 2018,47, 6605-6614

Advanced bi-functional CoPi co-catalyst-decorated g-C3N4 nanosheets coupled with ZnO nanorod arrays as integrated photoanodes

C. Liu, P. Wu, K. Wu, G. Meng, J. Wu, J. Hou, Z. Liu and X. Guo, Dalton Trans., 2018, 47, 6605 DOI: 10.1039/C7DT02459B

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